Cathedral of Christ the Savior
Metro: Kropotkinskaya
Tel: +7 (095) 201-3847
Open 10am-5pm daily

Rebuilt very recently, a cloud of urban legend surrounds the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The largest cathedral in Moscow, destroyed after 1917, once stood in the same place. During the Stalin era plans were made to build the world’s biggest building t, topped by a skyscraper statue of Lenin. Construction went as far as digging the foundation before the idea was trashed due to the beginning of WW2. It then became the world’s largest public swimming pool. In 1994 the pool was shut down to restore the cathedral. It was raised in less than 5 years with state funding and donations from the “New Russian” class.

Novodevichy Convent
Metro: Sportivnaya
Tel: +7 (095) 246-8526
Admission: 150 rubles
Open 10am-5pm, Wed-Mon

Next to a small park, Novodevichy is one of the most picturesque sights in Moscow. The convent housed (sometimes imprisoned) wealthy noblewomen, including Peter the Great’s half sister Sofia. Behind the convent is a cemetery with the tombs of famous persons, such as Chekhov, Gogol, Krushchev and Mayakovsky.

Moscow House of Photography
16 Ostozhenka st.
Metro: Kropotkinskaya/Park Kultury
Tel: +7 (095) 231-33-25/26/27
www.mdf.ru
Admission: 50 rubles
Open 11am-8pm Tues-Sun

The Moscow House of Photography holds a collection dedicated to the history and development of photography in Russia. Special exhibits of modern Russian photographers and exclusive historic collections are also displayed here.

Tretyakov Gallery
10 Lavrushinsky Pereulok
Metro: Tretyakovskaya
Tel: +7 (095) 951-1362
Admission: 220 rubles
Open 10am-6pm, Tues-Sun

Extensive collection of the best Russian icons and other pre-Revolutionary Russian art.

New Tretyakov Gallery
in the Central House of Artists building across from Gorky Park
Metro: Oktyabrskaya or Park Kultury
Tel: +7 (095) 238-1378
Admission: 220 rubles
Open 11am-7pm, Tues-Sun

An extension of the Old Tretyakov, the new gallery houses Russian art from the 20th century. The collection includes “The Black Box” and several pieces by Kandinsky